Wheels mfg Derailleur Hangers

If your bike’s shifting is off or you’ve noticed a bent derailleur hanger, it might be time for a replacement. The rear derailleur hanger may be small, but it plays a crucial role in keeping your ride smooth and precise. We know identifying and replacing the right hanger can be tricky, so we created a step-by-step video to guide you through it. In this video, you’ll learn: What a derailleur hanger does and why it matters The different types of hangers and which one might fit your bike A simple method for removing and installing a new hanger How to use our Hanger Finder tool to find the perfect fit Each hanger is uniquely designed, and the video includes tips for handling your specific model to make the process easy and stress-free. With Wheels Manufacturing’s high-quality, USA-made hangers, you’ll get a durable replacement that fits like a glove. Need more help? Email us at info@wheelsmfg.com with photos of your hanger, and our team will be happy to help.

A history lesson To understand the differences between a standard mount derailleur (and hanger) and a direct mount, let's first review a few key features of what we now call a standard mount derailleur. We should all be familiar with how a rear derailleur attaches to the bike. Hopefully it uses a replaceable derailleur hanger, which has an M10x1 threaded hole where you attach the derailleur. Without going into too much detail, this M10x1 hole location must be positioned within a small window relative to the rear hub axle center. All major derailleur manufacturers specify exact dimensions for their derailleur position relative to the rear wheel, and are all within a few millimeters of each other. If you look at all our standard mount hangers, they all are relatively similar when looking at the relationship between derailleur mounting hole, the B-Screw Tab and the hub axle socket. Standard mount derailleurs pivot around the bolt that attaches it to the frame (called the "b-knuckle"). When you are removing a wheel from a frame, you usually need to pull the derailleur back, rotating it around the M10 bolt. The b-knuckle of a rear derailleur stands off from the hanger quite a bit, and contributes to a rather crowded area of hub, skewer, chain, cassette and cable housing. In 2012, Shimano released their Shadow MTB rear derailleurs which use a direct mount system. These derailleurs moved the main pivot location further back and below the cassette compared to standard mount derailleurs. By relocating the upper pivot, this allowed for easier wheel removal/installation. It also positions the body of the derailleur more underneath the cassette so that it is less exposed to potential impacts. Shimano was also looking towards the future with this design in allowing frame manufacturers to build dropouts that could handle thru axles better. By moving the entire derailleur further away from the hub and frame dropout, this gave manufacturers more room for design improvements. In 2017, Shimano started making road rear derailleurs with the direct mount system, and most likely will become the norm for all their rear derailleurs. In 2018, Campagnolo also started making direct mount rear derailleurs, albeit with a more traditional b-knuckle upper pivot. How are they compatible with each other? Fortunately, Shimano and Campy direct mount derailleurs are backwards compatible with standard mount hangers. This is done with the "b-link", which connects the derailleur to a standard hanger, but positions the upper pivot in the correct location as if it was attached to a direct mount hanger. It didn't take long before frame manufacturers started making hangers that allow a direct mount derailleur to bolt directly to the hanger without the need for the b-link. This is what we call a direct mount hanger. Standard Mount Derailleur Direct Mount Derailleur On direct mount hanger (notice no b-link) Direct Mount Derailleur On standard mount hanger with b-link As with many of the bicycle "standards" we now have to understand, this can cause confusion when trying to find the correct hanger for a bike. Not only do we now need to match the hanger to the frame, we also need to match the derailleur to the hanger! We currently offer a number of hangers in both a standard mount and direct mount version. For example, DROPOUT-266 and DROPOUT-350 shown below. They both have the same shape and fasteners where they attach to the frame. Therefore, both hangers fit the same frames, and are interchangeable in that regard. However, they position the M10 hole for the derailleur in much different locations. Standard Mount for GT DROPOUT-266 Shimano Direct Mount for GT DROPOUT-350 What works? What doesn't? If you have a standard mount rear derailleur, you can only use it with a standard mount hanger. If you have a direct mount hanger on the frame, you can only use with a direct mount derailleur with the b-link removed. If you have a direct mount rear derailleur, you can use it with a standard deralleur hanger (with b-link), or use it on a direct mount hanger (without b-link) Currently, SRAM does not offer any direct mount rear derailleurs, and always need to be mounted to a standard derailleur hanger. If your frame has a direct mount hanger, and you are switching from Shimano direct mount to SRAM, you will need to replace your hanger with a standard mount version of your hanger.

Derailleur Hangers, nobody gives them a second thought until they break one. About the only thing that’s a bigger pain than breaking a hanger is trying to find a new one. Because of the large number of hangers out there, the chances of having one in stock are pretty slim and often times you may not be able to source one from the bike manufacturer unless you’re an authorized dealer. That’s why Wheels Mfg. is here. As a Customer Service Rep at Wheels Mfg, a good part of my day is spent identifying hangers. Our hanger database keeps track of hangers based on the make, model and year of a frame. Often the customer or shop mechanic does not know the exact make, model and year of the frame. Manufacturers have also been known to change hangers mid-season, so one particular model may have multiple hangers. As we discussed in our previous bottom bracket post, relying on what someone says they have isn't always the best idea. When trying to find the correct hanger, we always recommend visually comparing the customer's frame and hanger against any potential replacement hanger. Knowing these difficulties, I tend to fall back on the tried and true method of identifying hangers by eye. Of course, I know only too well that staring at a wall chart or web page filled with hundreds of derailleur hangers can be daunting, so I’ve come up with a system of sorts to help me filter through my choices. If you know the brand of the bike or frame, you can start from that brand's hanger page. Click the link for the brand you are looking for. This will narrow down the choices to just the hangers we currently offer for that brand. If you don’t have the customers hanger in front of you try to get photos. The first challenge I often face when trying to identify a hanger is getting a good photo. Below are examples of good and bad photos: Helpful Photos Unhelpful Photos As you can see, the photos on the left let me clearly see the important features of the hanger while the photos on the right just lets me know that this bike really needs a new chain. (Don’t laugh, I get these photos all the time.) Once I get some good photos to work with I go through a checklist to narrow my choices. Step 1: Is the hanger a Quick Release or Thru Axle Hanger? Quick Release Thru Axle Step 2: Is the hanger Standard or Shimano Direct Mount? Standard Mount for GT Shimano Direct Mount for GT Not sure what Shimano Direct Mount rear derailleurs are? Click HERE for more information. Step 3: Does the hanger mount to the inside or the outside of the dropout? Mounts to Inside Mounts to Outside Step 4: Does the hanger have any unique features or fine details I should be aware of? M12x1.25 Threaded Post M12x1.75 Threaded Post Step 5: The number and type of fasteners the hanger uses. As our replacement hanger offerings continue to increase, knowing how to quickly find a replacement means less time sourcing a replacement, and less time spent getting the repair done. - John